Reclining-chair.



PATENTBD FEB. 2'7. 1906. G. HUNZINGER,

RBGLINING CHAIR.

ArrLxoATzos nun JULY 1o. 1005.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 813,799. PATENTBD FEB. 27, 1906. G. HUNZINGER.

RBGLINING CHAIR.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 10. 1905.

B SHEETS-SHEET 2.

, EHS-.5.1).

GEORGE HUNZINGER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RECLININGCHAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1906.

Application filed July 10, 1905. Serial No. 268,918.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE HUNZINGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at the borough ol Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented an Iniproveinent in Reclining-Chairs, of which the oilowing is a specification.

My invention relates to a reclining-chair of the Character of the well-known Morris chair, wherein the back can be placed at different inclinations with reference to the seat. With these chairs as heretofore constructed the feet of the occupant if not resting upon the floor were placed either upon a separate stool or chair; and the object of my invention is to both supply this forni of chair with a foot-rest and at the same time to so arrange the seat and baek portions that they are pivotally connected together and the seat to the seat-frame, so that these parts together are adapted to swing out of the way to bring the foot-rest into position from beneath the seat or to replace the same in its initial position.

In carrying out my invention l provide a frame for the reclining-chair of any usual or desired character. The seat is pivoter] to the frame adjacent to the back corners thereof and it is supported at the front by resting upon a part provided therefor. The back is pivoted to the seat near its lower end, and it is in part supported thereby and also suported in its reclining position by a bar at the aok, which bar is held by the teeth of racks at the side. i employ a foot-rest which oomprises a frame ivoted between the front uprights of the e air, and to which latter legf'rames are also pivoted, and this foot-rest is adalpted to swing from its initial position Wit the leg-frame folded against the under suriaee thereof when the seat and hack frames are brought together to provide the space for the turninir movement oi the footrest, and when the igoot-rest is in a position of use it occupies substantially a horizontal position with the free ends of the leg-frames resting upon the Hoor. The supporting-rod at the back, which is held by the teeth of ratehets connected to the side frames of the reclining-chair, is also held in position by cleats on the back face of the chair-back, so that the rod cannot get away and is operated when the back is raised an( only requires to be lifted by hand when the bac-k is inclined.

In the drawings, Fi ure 1 is a side elevation with a part of the aok broken nii, showing the foot-rest in position and the back reclining. Fig. 2 is a plan of the parts as shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the foot-rest as foitied up and in its initial position of disuse with the seat and back brought into an inner folded relatiomin which space is provided for the swinging of the foot-rest in either direction.

The chair-frame comprises the side members o, the front upright members al, the back upright and inclined members a2, and arm-rest portions a, These are tied together by suitable transverse members, and they and the parts enumerated may be of any desired shape or character without departing from or aiieeting the essential features of my invention.

b represents brackets formed as continuations of or prolongations from the back upright members a2, extending toward the back of the chair and of curved forml and t represents the teeth or projections oi a ratchet formed as parts oi slots -in said brackets, The edge surface of the bracket and the projecting ends of the teeth are preferably struck on an are the conter of which is a pivot of the seat to the side members of the chairframe.

c represents the seat, of usual character,

but preferably formed of a suitable upholstered frame, and (l represents the back, also preferably of a suitable upholstered frame. 2 represents the pivot-pins passing through the side members and into the seat-frame to pivot the seat to the chair-frame, and l prefer to employ L-shaped straps e, which are seoured to the seat-frame and through which the pivots 2 pass. The back d is pivoted near its lower end by pivot-pins 3 to the L- shaped straps @,Vso as to pivotally connect the seat and back together, there being no connection of the back to the seat-frame, except through the L-shaped straps e.

d represents cleats on the back surfaces of the back-frame d, and a rod of metal 4 passes through the slots of the cleats d and through the slots of the braokets b, being made long enough to rest in the teeth or projet-tions of the ratehets o', so as to maintain the adjustable relation of tho back to the chair-'frame for a substantially' upri dit position or an inclined position, the sai( rod 4 being preferably provided at its ends with ori'iamontal knobs to prevent longitudinal movement thereof with the operations of the chair-back.

In the position Fig. l, it will be noticed that the lower end of the back d comes over IOO IIO

i the back end of the seat c, so that there is no opening or gap between these parts to be unsightly, and thc fact that the lower end of the back slightly overlaps the back of the seat completes the continuity of the chairsupport and slightly shortens up the seat, so that the same is not so long as is usual in these chairs. From the position of the back, Fig. 1, the same can be raised either by an attendant or by the occupant of the chair by simply pulling or pushing the back forward, in which movement the rod raises over the inclined parts of the teeth and drops into the notches progressively until the desired inclination is reached, the cleats d making this movement possible, as the back cannot be pulled away from its connection with the rod 4.

From Fig. 3 it will be noticed that the length of the free arms of the L-shaped straps e is such that when the seat and back are brought up into the adjacent relation shown in Fig. \3 the surfaces of these parts substantially come into contact, so that they fold closely and in so doing provide ample space for the movement of the foot-rest. This foot-rest comprises a frame f, shown as upholstered, and which is connected by pivot-pins 5 to and between the front upri hts a of the chair-frame swinging on sai pivot-pins 5 between the front uprights ai, and to the outer end of the foot-rest frame is connected a leg-frame g, adapted to fold a ainst the un der surface of the frame w en the footrest is swung over into anc between the side members of the chair-frame, as shown in Fig. 3, or to rest upon the door by being swung down, as shown in Fig. 1, and in this position support the foot-rest in a substantially horizontal line and directly forward of the seat.

The forward free end of the seat is adapted to rest on the member of the foot-rest frame that extends across between the front uprights a of the chair and upon either one side or the other of this frame member, according as the foot-rest is extended, as shown in Fig. 1, or placed within the chair, as shown in Fig. 3. The pivotal connection of the swinging foot-rest with the front uprights of the chairi'rame may be of suicient stren th to support the levera e and weight of te foot-rest when in its fol ed osition, as shown in Fig. 3, or I may provi e any suitable means for furnishing additional support, if desired.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a reclining-chair, a seat, pivotal connections from the seat to the chair-frame, a back and ivotal connections at the lower end of the back to the seat and a rod and coacting devices for supporting the back in an adjustable inclined relation whereby the back has a sliding movement on the rod by and simultaneously with the movement of the seat.

2. In a reclining-chair, a seat, pivotal connections from the seat to the chair-frame, a back and pivotal connections at the lower end of the back to the seat, a rod and coacting devices for sup orting the back in an adjustable inclined re ation, and a foot-rest and pivots for connecting the same between the ront uprights of the chair-frame, said footrest normally occupying a position beneath the seat and between the side members of the chair-frame, and the relation of the seat and back as specified, being such that they may be folded closely to ether so as to provide a space for swinging t e foot-rest outward into its position for use.

3. The combination with the chair-frame of' a seat, a device secured at each side and near the back of the seat, a back and pivotpins for pivotally connecting the back near its lower end to the free ends of said devices secured upon the sides to the seat, whereby the seat and back occupy a pivotal relation to one another, pivot-pins passing through the side members of the chair-frame and through the said devices secured to the seat so as to pivot the Vseat near its back to the chair-frame, and means for supporting the back in one of several inclined positions and producing a sliding movement of the back on said rod with the movement of the seat.

4. The combination With the chair-frame, of a seat, devices secured at the sides and near the back of the seat, a back and pivotpins for pivotally connecting the back near its lower end to the said devices secured to the seat whereby the seat and back occupy a pivotal relation to one another, pivot-pins passin through the side members of the chairrame and through the said devices secured to the seat so as to pivot the seat near its back to the chair-frame, slotted brackets formin devices of the side members of the chair Arame and provided with ratchetteeth, cleats secured to the rear surface of the back and a rod passin through said cleats and through the slots o the brackets to support the back in any one of several inclined positions and afford a sliding movement to the back on said rod, and which rod is moved thereby simply by the movement of the back when the same is raised to change its inclination.

5. The combination with the chair-frame,V of a seat, devices secured at the sides and near the back of the seat, a back and ivotpins for pivotally connecting the bac near lts lower end to the said devices secured to the seat whereby the seat and back occupy a pivotal relation to one another, pivot-pins passing through the side members of the chair-frame and through the said devices secured to the seat so as to pivot the seat near its back to the chair-frame, means fo.- supportin the back in one of seveal positions, and a ootfrest comprising a frame and piv- IOO oted leg-frame, seid frame being pivotelly 5 to and between the front uprights of the zo connected by pins 5 to and between the front uprights of the chair-frame and adapted to occupy en initial position below the seat, end when the seat and back are folded to swing outward into a horizontal position for use.

6. The combination With the chair-frame, of a seat, devices secured at the sides and near the beck of the seat, a back and pivotpins for pivotelly connecting the back near its lower end to thc said devices secured to the seet whereby the seat and back occupy a pivotal relation to one another, pivot-pins passin through the side members of the chairrame end through the said devices secured to the seat so as to pivot the seat near its back to the chair-frame, and e foot-rest comprising s frame and pivoted leg-frame, said freine being pivotally connected by pins chair-freine and adapted to occupy an initial position below the seat and When the seat and beck are folded to swing outward into e horizontal position for use.

7. In a reclining-chair, the combination with the chair-frame, of e seat and back, straps e of L form secured to the seat near the rear portion, pivot-pins 3 connecting the free ends of said straps to the back at its lower end, and pivots 2 passing through the chair-frame and seid straps into the seat for pivoting the scatto the chair-frame.

Signed by me this 6th dey of July, 1905.

GEORGE HUNZINGER.

Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINUKNEY, S. T. HAVILAND. 

